Our quest for clean air began a decade ago, when after observing black smoke pouring out of the chimney, we made the difficult decision to convert to electric heat. Studies show that heating system-related pollution increases disease risk. So our decision was good from a long-term health point of view.

But little did we know that some aspects of the new heating system still emitted large numbers of particulates into the air. For example, a bathroom air vent accumulated dust in its fan-forced blowing unit, and we weren’t aware of it until we used an air quality monitor ) to measure the particulate emission.

The results were scary. Within minutes after the heating vent became active, the particulates soared from a healthy 14/7 to more than 100/40. These numbers refer to small particles(down to 0.5 microns) and large particles (>2.5 microns) , respectively. Some people might say that’s still good. But it’s bad enough to irritate your nose, eyes, and throat. It was also enough to create gray, dirty swaths of particle accumulation on the filter in the air purifier we used to clean up the air in that bathroom. We didn’t like the idea of a similar particulate accumulation in our lungs. This is a good example of how mistakes in air quality management can affect even environments that are taken care of with the best health-conscious intentions.

Is it any wonder that people who live in polluted outdoor and/or indoor environments must work hard to avoid some sort of pollution-related disease?

Many LivingTheCRWay members live in the following cities: Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, Washington DC, London, and Shanghai. We wish these cities weren’t ranked among the highest for air pollution. Wherever you are located, a strategy for maintaining high quality air in the place where you live is essential. If you live in an area with high levels of air pollution, a good action plan is a matter of survival.